1. Field of the Invention The invention relates generally to centrifugal separator apparatus for cleaning of oil product and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, it relates to an improved form of centrifugal separator that employs a plurality of flow directing vanes and other improvements that maximize throughput of oil/water impurity liquids.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes numerous types of centrifugal separator ranging from the various forms of cyclone separator to the drum separators that have been devised for specific applications. There are very few if any teachings in the prior art that relate to the centrifugal separation of crude oil from impurities with the exception of the well-known de-sander equipment which generally takes the form of the basic cyclone separator per se. U.S. Pat. Nos. 720,154 and 793,222 are of interest as regards general similarities in structure of the present invention; however, these patents relate to the treatment of milk/cream mixture separation and the characteristic problems attendant thereto. The U.S. Pat. No. 720,154 uses fluted side walls in a cylinder revolving about a vertical axis but the flutes or vanes all lie in parallel relationship to the axis albeit that they are utilized in a concentric array with milk flow passages distributed along each vane. Final milk separation is achieved at the bottom along the central axis. U.S. Pat. No. 793,222 has similarities to the above as the separator vanes are all parallel and perforate to perform a straining function under centrifugally induced pressure. U.S. Pat. No. 1,587,800 teaches a centrifugal separator for use with lubricating oil. This device operates more on the cyclone separator principal as the lighter oil is driven upward for spinoff through a series of radially directed upper tubes. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,222,979 and 1,542,401 have also been suggested for showing general similarities of structure.